Ankle pain can occur for a number of reasons. The first thing to determine is whether there was trauma or if the pain developed on its own.
Traumatic causes include ankle sprains or fractures, where you’ve sprained or torn something. Usually, this can be linked to a specific event or episode. In non-traumatic cases, you may not recall any specific incident. It could be a stress fracture, possibly from increased activity, such as walking or exercise, without realizing it. Tendon strains are another possibility.
It all comes down to whether you remember an event happening or not. Associated symptoms are important too. Is it swollen? Bruised? Do you have a fever or chills? If you have fevers or chills, it’s important to seek medical attention.
You can try to immobilize the area yourself, but the most common causes of ankle pain include fractures, stress fractures, strains, and sprains.
